Lost hiker found after search near Scotts Valley

SCOTTS VALLEY - A search-and-rescue team found a 27-year-old autistic man Thursday night after he disappeared during an evening hike near Scotts Valley.

The man was cold and thirsty but did not have major injuries when he was found about 11 p.m., said Lt. Craig Wilson.

The man was barefoot and clad in only shorts and a T-shirt. Temperatures hit the low 40s.

"He would have had a rough night," Wilson said.

The man's mother was hiking with him in the woods off the 500 block of Glenwood Drive about 7 p.m.

It was not unusual for him to hike without shoes, said Wilson. The area was not far from their home.

She lost track of him. The woman notified authorities that her son was lost about 8:30 p.m.

About that time, the Sheriff's Office volunteer search-and-rescue team was at a class at Cabrillo College. They were called to the scene. They arrived relatively quickly because the team was already assembled, Wilson said.

About 20 people - including volunteers and deputies - started the search with two tracking dogs. The team started on Glenwood Drive and went east.